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HONG KONG—“You’re to pick it up with your God-given fingers and if you drop it you won’t get another.”

The instructions are relayed by Chef Alvin Leung aka the “Demon Chef” as he sets down a foot-tall silver tray shaped like a tree. On the tree’s leaves are perched a crispy taro bird’s nest with caviar and smoked quail egg. Like the pairing and the display—both created by Leung—nothing at Bo Innovation is being left to chance.

Less than 24 hours in Hong Kong and I’m already realizing that food here is taken very, very seriously.

A Michelin guidebook dedicated to the city’s foodie fare (Bo Innovation has two of the coveted stars) means that it is almost impossible to take more than a few steps here before stumbling onto a great meal.

And whether your palate is specific or adventurous, Hong Kong’s bright lights and dark alleys will call to you with smells, sights and tastes that offer something to tempt whether you’re a tourist or a local.

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Hong Kong real estate prices, coupled with being about four times more densely populated than New York City, mean that most Hong Kong households are bursting at the seams with people. Add in a hot oven, long work hours and the cost of electricity and it is often more comfortable, more convenient and less expensive for locals to eat out.

The plethora of restaurants lead to competition and competition leads to increased creativity and prices that match any income.

British born, Toronto-raised Leung’s unique “X-treme Chinese” cooking has attracted the attention of everyone from Anthony Bourdain to Cat Cora and Curtis Stone. Most come to his rooftop restaurant – where a meal can set you back $2080 HK ( about $270 CND) for a 16-course tasting menu – because they know they’ll eat well and get an experience.

He’ll tell you what you’re eating, when you’re eating it and in some cases how.

If you’re smart you’ll shut up and eat, because while he may have you under strict rules at the table, in the kitchen he’s playing with your food in a way that is fresh and enticing.

Here the traditional street food of egg waffle gets an oyster and chile flavoured upgrade and you’ll sip your first course “Mao Tai Sour” from a Leung-designed two handed “king’s cup.” Each course aims to surprise.

But despite the liquid nitrogen smoke that billows from the Saba dish or the creative way he’s molecularized the Xiao Long Bao, at the heart of his menus is a salute to the past.

It’s what unites the food lovers in this town.

Food is a big part of any trip to Hong Kong. You can dine on thousands of creative Chinese dishes or enjoy a fine Italian meal on a patio if you like. (Hong Kong Tourism)

Folks in Hong Kong take their food very seriously. You'll find the world's best dim sum restaurants in the city. (Hong Kong Tourism)

At the Hong Kong Foodie Tour in Sham Shui Po, diners of less means are gathered. Along with pointing out the architectural highlights of the area and explaining some of the realities of day to day living for locals here, tour creators Cecilia Leung and Silvana Leung are showcasing authentic Hong Kong cuisine at shops generations-old.

“You can’t get these anywhere,” points out Silvana as the tour munches on traditional pastries. “You have to go to these Hong Kong local shops to get the real thing.”

The group stops for Stocking Milk Tea (named for the long strainer used to make it) and a pineapple bun at Kowloon Restaurant. The buns are so good here, that the announcement that fresh buns are ready is often met with applause. The family-run Lau Sum Kee Noodle house gets a visit too. 50kg of their famous noodles are made daily by the patriarch by sitting on a bamboo log to roll them out in the family’s home.

The nod to the past continues that evening when 177 social media savvy foodies join popular local blogger KC Fancook for dinner.

The meal at the 80-year old Luk Yu Tea House was so popular that tickets offered through his Facebook page sold out in 45 minutes. Over the last eight years he has held more than 800 gatherings in more than 500 places across the city. He estimates that more than 1000 people each month have participate and that they have spent more than $500,000 HKD on meals he’s recommended.

He takes his responsibility to guide them to a good meal very seriously.

“It takes trust,” he says. “They’re spending money and they don’t know the food. They can’t cook it even if they might have heard of it because they don’t know how to do it in the old way.”

As he dashes between tables explaining dishes like the traditional sticky rice – cooked under the thin skin of a deep fried chicken, and pointing out the young ginger used -instead of the more modern pineapple -in the sweet and sour pork his fans whip out cell phones to snap photos and share online.

“Social media is allowing the next generation to discover the old ways of eating,” Fancook says. “They’re having an experience they may not be able to get in another way.”

Heather Greenwood Davis
is a freelance writer whose trip to Hong Kong was subsidized in part by the Hong Kong Tourist Board. Reach her at globetrottingmama.com

JUST THE FACTS

ARRIVING
Cathay Pacific offers direct non-stop flights from Vancouver and Toronto. Their new Premium Economy option offers a step up from economy, extra baggage allowance and priority boarding. (
cathaypacific.com/ca
) Canadian passport holders do not require a Visa for stays up to 90 days.

DINING
To join one of the Hong Kong Foodie Tours visit hongkongfoodietours.com . For Bo Innovation visit boinnovation.com . To sign up for one of KC Fancook’s dinners visit his blog at gourmetkc.blogspot.com

SLEEPING
The new Crowne Plaza Kowloon East (crowneplaza.com) is about 30 minutes outside of Central, connected to three malls and offers more space than some competitors. Rooms start at about $130 CND.

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